ASSEMBLY HOUSING COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 2309

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: JANUARY 23, 1997

      The Assembly Housing Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 2309, with committee amendments.

      This bill, as amended, would provide for the exclusion of sites dedicated for conservation, park lands or open space purposes and which is owned, leased, licensed, or in any manner operated by a municipality or by more than one municipality by joint agreement pursuant to P.L.1964, c.185 (C.40:61-35.1 et seq.), or by a county, municipality, or tax-exempt nonprofit organization, including a local board of education, when computing a municipal adjustment regarding available land resources as part of the determination of a municipality's fair share of affordable housing by the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH). COAH currently must exclude from designating as vacant land any land that is dedicated for conservation, park lands or open space purposes and which is owned by a county, municipality, or tax-exempt nonprofit organization. This bill would provide for the exclusion of such sites if they are owned, leased, licensed, or in any manner operated by a municipality or by more than one municipality by joint agreement pursuant to P.L.1964, c.185 (C.40:61-35.1 et seq.). The bill would further the Legislature's directive to COAH to adopt criteria and guidelines which provide for adequate land for open space and recreational purposes.

      The committee amended the bill to specify that land owned or operated by a local board of education would also be considered exempt from the definition of vacant land.